Page:Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar (1910 Kautzsch-Cowley edition).djvu/516

 the   (equivalent to the circumstance, the fact, that), e.g., , 19, , , but in ,  equivalent to the way in which.

A complete clause, assigning the reason for statements, demands, threats, &c., sometimes follows with the simple, e.g. give us help against the adversary, and (for) vain is the help of man;  , 22:12, , , perhaps also ; or even without , e.g. . As a rule, however, special conjunctions in various combinations are used to introduce causal clauses.

The most common causal conjunctions are, &c., and , prop. on account of the fact that; both, however, may also be shortened to the simple, &c., or to , , 17, &c., or to  , , , 27, , , , 23, , , , ; also  , 23. On the other hand, the simple is sometimes repeated for emphasis,  (something like the German sintemal und alldieweil),  (without  36:3); also  , and  , ,  on the ground that; , ; ,. But just as the simple is used for, so also the simple  with the perfect stands for  , ; cf. and  both with the perfect, equivalent to because... not.—Cf. further, , , all with the perfect, and  ( with the perfect;  with the imperfect) prop. in return for the fact that; similarly again the simple  with the perfect, and,  with the imperfect; finally,   arising from the fact that,= because;  , &c., and  ,  for the reason that.

Rem. 1. The preposition (because of, on account of) with the infinitive  is frequently used as the equivalent of a full causal clause; cf. e.g., 6, 13, 2:1, 6. Such a construction with the infinitive may, however, according to, be continued by means of a finite verb, in which case governs the verb as a conjunction; e.g.  , &c.; 1:11, 2:4; without ,.

2. The choice of tense is regulated by the general principles stated in § 106 ff., viz. the perfect (cf. especially ) refers to causes already brought fully into effect, the imperfect to those which may contingently arise; cf. e.g., , , where the imperfect leaves the possibility still open that the persons addressed will perhaps escape the threatened punishments by avoiding disobedience.—Cf. further, on the imperfect consecutive, and  on the perfect consecutive in the apodosis to causal clauses.